Army blends two contracts

Two of the top 20 contract opportunities are becoming one.

Jan. 6, 2014 - 06:00AM
|

Some of the top federal contract opportunities for fiscal 2014 are undergoing major changes.

One of the biggest developments is the Army’s decision to combine two of its multi-billion dollar contracts: the upcoming Rapid Response 4th Generation (R2-4G) and Strategic Services Sourcing 2nd Generation (S32G) procurements, said Jennifer Sakole, principal analyst for federal information services at Deltek.

Deltek estimates the R2-4G procurement is worth $16.4 billion and expects requirements for the upcoming contract will be similar to the current program, where contractors provide services to research, develop, study and maintain government platforms and systems. The Army’s S32G contract will be worth an estimated $30 billion and include support for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as other professional information technology services.

The similarities in scope of the two contracts and a desire to reduce the number of contract vehicles factored into the Army’s decision to combine the contracts, Sakole said. The government is planning for an aggressive procurement schedule, and a solicitation is expected to be released near the end of the fiscal year. The Army has not yet released a ceiling value for the combined contracts.

“For these specific opportunities, what we’ll be watching in FY 2014 is whether or not the agencies move forward with the procurements and how,” Sakole said. “For example, will we see consistent progress or stops and starts? Will there be more changes to procurement strategies resulting in either a consolidation of programs or a breakout of requirements into smaller procurements?”

In December, the Army changed the acquisition strategy for its TACOM Strategic Service Solutions (TS3) procurement. Rather than having a single contract, the Army will release three separate request for proposals for knowledge based services, equipment service and research and development, Sakole said.

The draft RFPs are anticipated for release after January, with a final RFP in April and contract awards in October.

Other contracts to watch over the next few months:

The Defense Intelligence Agency anticipates releasing a final solicitation for its $6 billion Enhanced Solutions for the Information Technology Enterprise (E-SITE) contract in January or February, Sakole said. E-SITE will provide IT services for DIA, the military services, combatant commands and non-defense agencies with intelligence missions or that use Defense Department intelligence systems.

A draft solicitation for the Army’s Train Educate and Coach (TEACH) is excepted to be released in February, with a final solicitation anticipated for early July.